Will Anyone Protest This?
The Chosun Ilbo is reporting that an agreement has been struck between the US and ROK governments to build the new US embassy on the grounds of the current US Army Yongsan garrison:
Korea and the U.S. on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to build a “diplomatic town” that will include the U.S. Embassy, staff housing and administrative facilities in front of Yongsan High School on what is currently part of the U.S. Yongsan Garrison.
The Korean Foreign Ministry’s North America director Kim Sook and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill signed the MOU ending a decade-long squabble over the embassy move. The U.S. will return 7,800 pyeong (25,785 square meters) of land near the Deoksu Palace, where Kyunggi Girls High School and a former U.S. legation’s residence used to be, while Korea will provide the U.S. with a new 24,000-pyeong site in the northwest part of Camp Coiner, in the U.S. Yongsan Garrison. The ambassador’s residence will stay where it is.
This has been an on going issue that has further strained US-ROK relations because Korea entered into an agreement on the previous location of the US embassy and the US government had even bought the land from the Korean government. Some people decide to protest and the Korean government suddenly changed their minds.
These same people also protested that they want Yongsan Garrison out of Seoul. An agreement is struck between the government and USFK to move soldiers stationed at Yongsan and 2ID to Pyongtaek to consolidate forces and lessen USFK’s footprint. Now these same people are protesting the relocation of the soldiers to Camp Humphreys. I’m just waiting for the ROK government to renege on this agreement too.
So the next logical thing to protest would be the relocation of the US Embassy to Yongsan. The protestors will say that US Embassy will be a lingering sign of colonial occupation due to Yongsan Garrison once being the old Imperial Japanese Army colonial headquarters during the 35 year occupation of Korea.
If this does in fact happen I propose that we build the US Embassy in the most inconvenient spot possible. I think we should build it up on some high mountain, where you have to drive up a windy dirt road with steep cliffs in Kangwon province, or even better yet build it on Ullong-do Island. Ullong-do is a small island located out in the Sea Japan that is only accessible by a ferry boat. Really nice people there, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind having the US Embassy. The hard part would being finding a flat piece of ground on the volcanic island. The majority of the flat ground on the island is the volcano’s caldera. I bet it would be the world’s only embassy inside of a volcano, which is kind of cool.
Anyway, by building the US Embassy in the most inconvenient spot possible that would mean that all the Koreans that want US Visas and citizenship will have to make that inconvenient journey to the embassy. What is most ironic about this is that the very people that are protesting the US Embassy move will probably be the same people standing in line the next day to get a US immigration Visa.
I did a review of the US Embassy saga a long time ago.
http://www.usinkorea.org/1st/embassy.htm
I did a more recent review of the Yongsan Saga and just finished moving the site over to my own domain.
http://www.usinkorea.org/issues/yongsanrelocation…
One thing about the embassy thing, it is obvious the Korean government meant for that area to be a foreign mission area – which it was in the past too. The Russians and Canadians were well on their way with their construction projects, but when the US got its name mentioned, suddenly the area is a historical national treasure threatened by the arrogrant Americans who couldn't care less about Korean cultural history.
I know I always sound strong on this issue, but come on…I get it honestly enough……..
What raised my eyebrow with this latest news was the size of the land increase — from 7,000 pyeong to 24,000. At Yongsan. The supposed future location of Korea's New York central park….
I think the size of the jump in increased land will be a nice selling factor for pressure on the US in Korea for "average" Koreans.
And as usual, it will all blend together beyond recognition anyway…..
So, will all this end up with nothing being done? Could the 2ID stay in Camp Casey and Yongsan remain the EUSA HQ?
I think you are more likely to see a larger withdrawal of forces on the peninsula than keeping the status quo.
Ullong-do Island? Why not Dokt-do? Better yet, let's just shut down the ROK Embassy and second the American Ambassador in Japan to Korea.
The ending of this story will be all the throngs of koreans that will want to ileave korean shithole and moveto yankeeland will endlessly bitch about how the yankess put the embassy in a bad location. Otheir way to be future robert kims they will be hating the usa all the way.
Please please please NK please use those bombs. I would happly trade 32,000 yankess for the all those other lumps of shit in seoul.
We should all recognize that the current US Embassy's location the proposed location near Deoksu Palace are both less than ideal. Both areas are increasingly congested. The Yongsan location should open up nicely once most of Camp Coiner is gone. 98% of the embassy's patronage is probably Korean. If they want to put the embassy in a less accessible area, let them. The Coiner plan is better than the current configuration, with all of the embassy employees living in Yongsan and commuting all of the way down to Jongno.
GIKorea, what kind of trouble are you looking for with the ea of Japan talk in this post? You're becoming increasingly anti-Korean. Don't let the protesting and all get you down. I'd take a busload of Koreans over a busload of Americans, any day.
The Sea of Japan post must of been a subconcious slip considering the nature of the post. I really haven't been anti-Korean, I have just been reporting what has been going on around here lately. It is the annual protest season so the anti-American idiots come out of the wood work and I just write about it. Considering the hate mail I get for being accused of being to pro-Korean I feel I am far from being anti-Korean.
Dumb kerans expect dumb GI gorea to ape their propaganda like "dokdo" or "east sea" . silly chimps.
Yes GIGorea its called SEA OF JAPAN. Calling it SEA OF JAPAN doesnt mean you hate korea.
Quit being a goran shit eater gigorea. Start acting like a man and quit kissing korean ass.
Whereever you choose, Koreans protest. They have a sacred right to protest against anything.
The on going complaints and demonstations by the Korean People, are and will continue as long as U.S.Forces, are in Korea. The Korean People have no clue to what they want they just like to complain and bicker back and forths. IT'S THEIR NATURE TO RAISE HELL AND HAVE TO CLUE TO WHY THEY ARE COMPLAINING. Their latest efforts of taking the American Tax Dollar, to its limits is the Demanding of 164 Billion U.S.Dollars, to reclaim all the land presently serving as Military Installations for the U.S.Troops. 164 Billion, hell I could build them a new country for that price!
But the kicker is that the Billions, will never see its way in to Reclamation, of the military bases. It will no doubt end up in the pockets of Politicians and Dead Beats!
Its the Korean Way. Over charge for services rendered and reap the rewards and move on. No doubt they will devide the funds up and then immigrate to the United States or antoher country and live like kings or Prince of Theives!
So Americans get your heads out of your orifices and start looking ahead to higher taxes and taking it in the rear from countrys we have saved fought and died for in the past. The folks are un-grateful and always will be to the soldiers and countries who came to their aid and recued their sorry butts from obliviation. WHEN WILL WE LEARN?